


Come Undone

by repwarrior



Series: We're Partners [1]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Biohazard | Resident Evil References, Confessions, F/M, Game: Resident Evil 1 Remake (2002), Isolation, Movie Night, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Resident Evil 2, Raccoon City, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:27:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25913596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/repwarrior/pseuds/repwarrior
Summary: About a month has passed since the events that took place at the Spencer Estate. Jill decides to pay Chris a visit to check up on him.
Relationships: Chris Redfield/Jill Valentine
Series: We're Partners [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1886218
Kudos: 20





	Come Undone

The balmy cradle of August settled once more over Raccoon City’s roaring skyline. Highrises dazzled in the moonlight as darkness fully inundated the horizon. At ground level, people roamed on the busy sidewalks while hurried drivers honked on the avenue. Among the multitude of unknown faces, a woman in her early twenties stepped on the cobblestones. She carried a large bag. Her short hair strands waved as she quickly turned to her right. In front of her was now an apartment building, undistinguishable from the other hundreds engineered during the town’s economic boom.

Entering she went up the metallic staircase with the last floor being her destination. As she approached the wanted door, she let out a relieved exhale. Disquiet could be read in her look. Perhaps she was not meant to stand there but went for it anyway. Breathing in, she clutched the bag of groceries with one arm and knocked. In the seconds that it took to receive a response, she felt her lower lip almost burst from the pressure. _‘Damn it’_. She was biting it without realizing. _‘Why am I like this?’_. Before she could gather her thoughts to mutter a proper greeting, the door creaked and a tall young man appeared, as surprised as she was.

‘Chris.’

‘Jill,’ he acknowledged.

Hearing her name being told with that raspy yet warm tone made her feel taken aback.

‘Uh, sorry for stopping by unannounced. Just wanted to check on you. Also, I brought these,’ she explained handing the bag.

‘Thanks,’ he said peeking inside, ‘Come in.’

The decently sized flat revealed itself. With a glance Jill could already tell something shifted since she last wandered around that place, which offered a break from the ardent noises of the metropolis. The living area that was once kept in order more or less was now a dwindling mess made of wrinkled shirts thrown on the couch and empty pizza boxes stacked by the coffee table. In the kitchen area some stained dishes sat in the sink like Jenga pieces ready to collapse.

It was certainly not uncharacteristic of him to procrastinate from doing chores, but in the current instance she knew that was more than just laziness. That exact scenery was all too well known to her. She decided not to comment on the state of things. All that mattered was that they were reunited.

‘Sorry about… all of this,’ he pointed at the open living space.

‘It’s fine. My place hasn’t been in top shape for some time now either,’ she mustered, succeeding in getting a faint chuckle out of him.

‘Have we really not seen each other in over a week?’ Chris suddenly asked.

That simple question implied unspoken truth that neither seemed prepared to confront.

‘Guess so. With everything going on, I was getting worried.’

‘I’ve been thinking about you too,’ he said with a gulp then continued, ‘I’m glad you’re here. And hey. I’m sorry for getting mad on the phone last time we talked. Just hadn’t slept that night and… ugh,’ he stopped to pinch his nose in disconfort.

‘Don’t fret, I understand. But! Enough about that. Wanna watch a movie?’ she asked, sketching a smirk to lighten the mood.

Chris squinted for a second.

‘Hm. Sounds good,’ he replied as he went to toss the pizza boxes in the bin to clean up.

Excited at the prospect, Jill went to unpack the bag which Chris had left on the counter. She pulled out the contents and carefully set them aside: popcorn, random sweets, and a small collection of colorful DVDs. Indeed, that situation was unusual – having _‘a movie night together’_ – but eluding for a little while from the grueling layers of real life had never been a more appropiate proposition. As she poured the instant popcorn into a bowl she softly glanced at Chris. He was at the window, gazing at the deep blue azure lit up by skyscrapers. Her heart skipped a beat.

Plopping down on the loveseat, they curled up with some cushions separately and Jill pressed the start button on the remote. The television screen began transporting the two past the fictional gates of a distant realm. A 90s cheesy romantic comedy could not be considered Chris’s top choice but with Jill there, he decided to tolerate it. Though not before displaying the goofiest eye roll. Wavering in through the open window by the sofa, the breeze attenuated the heat in the room slightly. Late summers were not the best to experience in that city with all the pollution and racket on the streets. It was as if it could go extinct in a blast at any time.

Like a miracle delivered from the heavens, laughter and cascading joy replaced the crushing silence that reigned in the apartment before she showed up. The night slipped away like a bottle of wine. About an hour was spent on harshily analyzing and criticizing every minuscule aspect of the movie, from its forced comedic attempts to dubious plot points. For the first time in forever, fright had been replaced with something as pure as comfort. Jill eventually fell asleep with her head rested on the fuzzy pillows. The monotony of the film combined with the consoling sentiment of having Chris there made it irresistible.

It did not last. The nap was cut short at one point by a muffled yet insistent cry down the hallway. Rubbing her eyes in a hurry to become fully awaken, she got up. She could sense something was not right but did not know what to expect as she came closer to the source of the sound. She stood before the bathroom door. It was now evident that the cries were originating from there. She knocked gently.

‘Chris?’

‘Jill- don’t. I look pathetic.’

‘Hey… It’s alright. I can help you. Can I come in, please?’ she calmly pleaded.

A halt.

‘Okay.’

Once she opened the door Jill could see exactly what was happening. By the shower cabin, Chris was on the cold tiled floor with his knees hugged to his chest. Stunted tears flushed down his cheeks. Invoking the bravura to raise his chin, his eyes met Jill’s haunting blue. He laid taciturn as shame threatened to drown him from the inside. His lips parted as he desperately struggled to utter something – _anything_ – but only stillness transpired. He peeped at the tiles beneath his weight, hoping they would simply shatter and consume him.

Confusion could be ascertained on his face. Jill’s presence snapped him back from that deathly trance as she sat down next to him. She intertwined her fingers with his. Peace, for a moment. Hitched breaths left his lungs.

‘What’s wrong?’ Jill asked, warmth radiating from her voice and her touch.

He could not bare it anymore. He had to let out everything that had been slowly building up like a growing parasite. Closing his weary eyes he allowed the words to gush out of his mouth.

‘While we were watching the movie, well you were already asleep, I checked the clock. Just like that, I felt this fear. This… rage. I realized it was the same hour that whole shitfest happened at. I remember checking the time when we entered the mansion. And- and you know, even when I do other simple things, such as, I don’t know, cutting tomatoes with a knife, I get images in my head. I get these images of how I used my knife to defend myself from…,’ a deafening pause followed, ‘…Sometimes I can fight it. But… it gets loud sometimes.’

He sucked in another breath as he could finally reopen his eyelids.

‘I’m scared. I’m scared because I’m supposed to be the guy who takes care of everyone. How can I protect you and Claire when I can’t even get myself together?’ he admitted in defeat.

Processing that rapid confession, Jill tightened her grip.

With a silent but heartfelt gesture, Chris rested his head on her shoulder.

In that very moment, that forsaken night came smashing like a scene in a film reel on the screen in her mind. The helicopter taking off and the buzz of its rotor blade. The millions of stars shimmering. Her resting her head on his shoulder. Incredible relief washing over her. Whispers of them constantly checking up on each other during the entire duration of the flight. And a burning hope that the nightmare was over. At least for those minutes, embraced.

‘Chris… I’ve been finding myself in this position too. Trying to make sense of it all. I understand,’ she divulged.

Chris looked at her. There they were a month later. Sharing teardrops on that bathroom floor.

‘I… don’t think either of us should be alone tonight. Would you mind… sleeping over?’ the question rolled off his tongue shyly.

Nodding, Jill got up. She languidly shot out her arm. He grabbed onto it like he had found the life support he had been seeking. They strolled to the nearby bedroom. Crashing on the mattress, they were now twisted in bedsheets. Away from the world. Away from the screams. Away from everything. Just them, profoundly swearing to protect each other. Still visibile through the glass, the moon conveyed the impression of being a guardian over the two.

‘Thank you for being here.’

Their roving eyes locked with each other’s.

What had occurred within those decrepit walls would forever be a part of them, it seemed.

But, _‘she was here’_.

‘I’m here for you too, Jill,’ he added.

She replied back with her subtle smile, which Chris reciprocated with his own.

‘I know, that’s our thing. We’re partners.’


End file.
